Title: THE DISAPPEARING ACT
Author: Catherine Steadman
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Australia
Read: June 2021
Expected publication: 7 June 2021
My Rating: 🌟🌟🌟1/2
Book Description:
Once a year, actors from across the
globe descend on the smog and sunshine of Los Angeles for pilot season. Every
cable network and studio looking to fill the rosters of their new shows
enticing a fresh batch of young hopefuls, anxious, desperate and willing to do
whatever it takes to make it. Careers will be made, dreams will be realized,
stars will be born. And some will be snuffed out.
British star Mia Eliot has landed leading roles in costume dramas in her native
country, but now it's time for Hollywood to take her to the next level. Mia
flies across the Atlantic to join the hoard of talent scrambling for their big
breaks. She's a fish out of water in the ruthlessly competitive and faceless
world of back-to-back auditioning. Then one day she meets Emily, another
actress from out of town and a kindred spirit. Emily is friendly and genuine
and reassuringly doesn't seem to be taking any of it too seriously. She stands
out in a conveyor-belt world of fellow auditionees. But a simple favor turns
dark when Emily disappears and Mia realizes she was the last person to see her,
and the woman who knocks on Mia's door the following day claiming to be her new
friend isn't the woman Mia remembers at all.
All Mia has to go on is the memory of a girl she met only once . . . and the
suffocating feeling that something terrible has happened. Worse still, the
police don't believe her when she claims the real Emily has gone missing. So
Mia is forced to risk the role of a lifetime to try to uncover the truth about
Emily, a gamble that will force her to question her own sanity as the truth
goes beyond anything she could ever have imagined.
My musings:
I love it when authors use their very specific
background knowledge as a base for a novel because it usually makes for an
intriguing, authentic insight into another world. With her acting background,
Steadman allows us a glimpse into Hollywood life in her latest novel THE
DISAPPEARING ACT, spicing up the story with a generous sprinkling of murder and
intrigue.
English actress Mia is auditioning
for movie roles in LA when she meets Emily, another hopeful actress from out of
town. Minding Emily’s bag and car keys for her whilst she is in the studio, Mia
becomes concerned when Emily fails to return to claim her possessions, and Mia’s
calls to her mobile remain unanswered. Her suspicions grow when the next day, a
stranger turns up on Mia’s doorstep claiming to be Emily and asking for her bag
and car keys back. And so starts a story full of mystery and intrigue – who
really is Emily? And what has happened to the girl Mia met at the auditions?
As soon as I met Mia, I immediately
warmed to her. Despite her rise to fame through her movie role as Jane in Jane
Eyre, she has remained refreshingly down to earth. A recent break-up with her long
term partner, who has left her for another, younger woman, has left her heart
broken and has shaken her self-confidence. In the dog-eat-dog world of LA, her
innocence renders her as alien as a fish out of water, which is why she is
instantly drawn to Emily, who is the only smiling, friendly face around.
Through Mia we also get a glimpse into some of the quirks of the Hollywood
scene, which I found thoroughly intriguing.
Once Mia starts looking into the
mystery of Emily’s disappearance, things start to take on a sinister turn,
putting Mia’s own life in danger. I was hooked!
Even though some suspension of
disbelief was required to buy the whole premise of the final reveal, and even
some of Mia’s actions, I found the story entertaining and intriguing until the
end. Some readers may find Mia a bit naive, but I was touched by her honesty
and innocence, which made her more relatable for me. A special mention must go
to Steadman’s inclusion of a real-life mystery into her story, the suicide of
actress Peg Entwistle, who jumped to her death from the “H” of the Hollywood
sign in 1932, and whose body was discovered by a hiker a few days later. Her
sad death becomes a symbol of the ruthlessness of Hollywood and has a special
significance for Mia – I will say no more.
Summary:
In summary, THE DISAPPEARING ACT offered a
fascinating insight behind the glamour of Hollywood, incorporated into an
intriguing mystery. It will appeal to readers who are able to suspend disbelief
for the sake of a few unexpected twists and a finale I definitely could not
have predicted. I really enjoyed Steadman’s writing style and her insider glimpses
into the life of an actress, which made for an authentic and compelling read.
Thank
you to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster Australia for the free electronic
copy of this novel and for giving me the opportunity to provide an honest
review.
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